SP-Cong alliance in UP potent to take on BJP: CPM

Describing the Uttar Pradesh polls as “battle royale”, the CPM has said the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance is in a “better position” to take on the BJP.

The party acknowledged that it would be a “tough task to reverse” the lead the BJP got in the last Lok Sabha polls, when it won 73 out of 80 seats and 42.5% votes.

How far the Modi factor will work for the saffron party “remains to be seen,” it said.
In its editorial in the party mouthpiece ‘People’s Democracy,’ on the upcoming polls in five states, CPM said the “fractious quarrel” in the Samajwadi Party between Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh and uncle Shivpal Yadav, had added to “uncertainty”.

However, with Akhilesh rallying the bulk of the party and legislators, coupled with the Election Commission allotting the bicycle symbol to him, the CPM contended that Mulayam’s son had “emerged stronger”.

“The proposed alliance with the Congress and possibly the Rashtriya Lok Dal of Ajit Singh would put this combination in a better position to take on the BJP,” it said.

However, it said, unlike Bihar, this is not a ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance) where the two major parties, RJD and JD(U), got together. In Uttar Pradesh, the BSP is not part of this alliance.

It said 2007 and 2012 Assembly elections resulted in single party rule in UP while the 2014 Lok Sabha polls saw BJP-led alliance winning most of the seats and also emerging the leader in 329 assembly segments out of 403.

“It will be a tough task to reverse this lead which is far higher than what the BJP got in Bihar during the Lok Sabha polls,” it said.

Caste arithmetic
Analysing BJP’s position, it said as in Bihar, the party is “relying on projecting Modi and caste arithmetic” that proved “so successful” in 2014.

“However, after two and a half years of Modi government at the Centre and the palpable failure to deliver jobs and development, how far the Modi factor will work remains to be seen. The problems created by the withdrawal of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes and its adverse impact on the people will also be at play,” it added.

Acknowledging that the Left parties are not a major force in the five states, including UP, going to polls, the CPM said all resources should be “marshalled” to defeat the BJP in these elections.